Building muscle but not losing weight or size
karajhol
Posts: 18 Member
Hi! So I've been exercising and watching my intake, but I've gained several lbs and apparently it's muscle. That's fine, but I want to get rid of my flab. I'm attaching 2 photos of the analysis from my gym. In case they are out of order, the one where I'm coded in yellow (acceptable fat percentage) is from May 11. The photo where I'm coded green (fitness level fat percentage) is from today. I was on the border last month and on the other side of the border this month.
I want to burn fat. More cardio? Fewer carbs?
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May 110
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June 270
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If you want to burn fat then you need to tighten up your logging4
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Can't see any photos but, in general, the bf readout you get from the gym is neither accurate in the moment nor accurate enough to show change over time.
Body fat is stored energy. Give your body a reason to dip into its available energy stores (fat) if you want to lose it. Eat less or move more or do both to create an energy deficit.8 -
I wouldn't assume that your gains are muscle. You gained 4 lbs, .75 lbs of fat (fat mass) and the reminder may be water weight from new workout routine. If your goal is to lose fat, manage your calorie intake.11
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Ugh. I knew y'all were going to say that.3
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We are saying it is some muscle (perhaps). Not all. Creating a pound of muscle takes a lot of work let alone 4 lbs. Do not get overzealous. Make sure to be in a deficit and you will lose fat.3
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Hi! So I've been exercising and watching my intake, but I've gained several lbs and apparently it's muscle. That's fine, but I want to get rid of my flab. I'm attaching 2 photos of the analysis from my gym. In case they are out of order, the one where I'm coded in yellow (acceptable fat percentage) is from May 11. The photo where I'm coded green (fitness level fat percentage) is from today. I was on the border last month and on the other side of the border this month.
I want to burn fat. More cardio? Fewer carbs?
You (especially women) do not accidentally put on pounds of muscle without trying and especially not in one month. Were you eating at a calorie surplus while on a progressive lifting plan?? Even so, pounds of muscle in a month would not happen without some serious performance enhancing drugs. Were you taking those?
As others said, those machines are wildly inaccurate. If you want to lose fat you need to eat at a deficit (and not worry about what that machine is telling you).9 -
OP, I just looked at your photos. Lean mass is not 100% muscle. If we were only muscle and fat we would be amorphous blobs. Lean mass is everything except fat--muscle, bone, blood, water, organs, tendons, etc. Drink 16 oz of water and your lean mass will increase by 1 lb.9
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Also, not sure what the 'hydration index' means, but the fact the two numbers are so different likely contributes to the difference in two readings as well.6
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Muscleflex79 wrote: »Also, not sure what the 'hydration index' means, but the fact the two numbers are so different likely contributes to the difference in two readings as well.
YUP!!
on my home scale/4 point BIA estimator, I generally ignore estimates of BF/LBM unless the estimated Hydration is within 5 points of 50%... because otherwise the numbers are just going to be off
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Muscleflex79 wrote: »Hi! So I've been exercising and watching my intake, but I've gained several lbs and apparently it's muscle. That's fine, but I want to get rid of my flab. I'm attaching 2 photos of the analysis from my gym. In case they are out of order, the one where I'm coded in yellow (acceptable fat percentage) is from May 11. The photo where I'm coded green (fitness level fat percentage) is from today. I was on the border last month and on the other side of the border this month.
I want to burn fat. More cardio? Fewer carbs?
You (especially women) do not accidentally put on pounds of muscle without trying and especially not in one month. Were you eating at a calorie surplus while on a progressive lifting plan?? Even so, pounds of muscle in a month would not happen without some serious performance enhancing drugs. Were you taking those?
As others said, those machines are wildly inaccurate. If you want to lose fat you need to eat at a deficit (and not worry about what that machine is telling you).
its said that under the right conditions a woman gain about a 1/4 a lb a week. but it has to be under the right conditions and thats aside from the small amount of newbie gains. but if in a deficit those gains are going to be even lower unless maybe doing a recomp and that Im sure will be smaller than in a surplus of calories3 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Muscleflex79 wrote: »Hi! So I've been exercising and watching my intake, but I've gained several lbs and apparently it's muscle. That's fine, but I want to get rid of my flab. I'm attaching 2 photos of the analysis from my gym. In case they are out of order, the one where I'm coded in yellow (acceptable fat percentage) is from May 11. The photo where I'm coded green (fitness level fat percentage) is from today. I was on the border last month and on the other side of the border this month.
I want to burn fat. More cardio? Fewer carbs?
You (especially women) do not accidentally put on pounds of muscle without trying and especially not in one month. Were you eating at a calorie surplus while on a progressive lifting plan?? Even so, pounds of muscle in a month would not happen without some serious performance enhancing drugs. Were you taking those?
As others said, those machines are wildly inaccurate. If you want to lose fat you need to eat at a deficit (and not worry about what that machine is telling you).
its said that under the right conditions a woman gain about a 1/4 a lb a week. but it has to be under the right conditions and thats aside from the small amount of newbie gains. but if in a deficit those gains are going to be even lower unless maybe doing a recomp and that Im sure will be smaller than in a surplus of calories
yup, exactly this! I've read it is between .5 and 1 lb per month and like you said - under ideal conditions (which not everyone knows or follows). Definitely not pounds and pounds per month like a lot of posters believe (or hope!)5 -
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Muscleflex79 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Muscleflex79 wrote: »Hi! So I've been exercising and watching my intake, but I've gained several lbs and apparently it's muscle. That's fine, but I want to get rid of my flab. I'm attaching 2 photos of the analysis from my gym. In case they are out of order, the one where I'm coded in yellow (acceptable fat percentage) is from May 11. The photo where I'm coded green (fitness level fat percentage) is from today. I was on the border last month and on the other side of the border this month.
I want to burn fat. More cardio? Fewer carbs?
You (especially women) do not accidentally put on pounds of muscle without trying and especially not in one month. Were you eating at a calorie surplus while on a progressive lifting plan?? Even so, pounds of muscle in a month would not happen without some serious performance enhancing drugs. Were you taking those?
As others said, those machines are wildly inaccurate. If you want to lose fat you need to eat at a deficit (and not worry about what that machine is telling you).
its said that under the right conditions a woman gain about a 1/4 a lb a week. but it has to be under the right conditions and thats aside from the small amount of newbie gains. but if in a deficit those gains are going to be even lower unless maybe doing a recomp and that Im sure will be smaller than in a surplus of calories
yup, exactly this! I've read it is between .5 and 1 lb per month and like you said - under ideal conditions (which not everyone knows or follows). Definitely not pounds and pounds per month like a lot of posters believe (or hope!)
Its because lots of sites and info out there says oh eat enough protein lift weights and you gain muscle and lose fat. They dont realize the work it takes to build it. and the older you are the harder it can be.its also hard to gain if you dont have a lot of fat either. the leaner you are the harder and slower it will be.I know I gained some over the last few years but I dont think its a very high number. I dont have anywhere that does dexascans or anything like that(small town).I will guess maybe 3-4 lbs in the last few years(been lifting almost 5 years). I also slacked off on lifting due to an injury so could have lost some.2 -
evergreenlake wrote: »
Somatotypes are not really a thing. Burning fat is easy. Finding your deficit can be a bit hard, especially if one is already lean.
OP, what is your routine?4 -
"lean mass" isn't just muscle...it's also water. Putting on 4 Lbs of actual muscle mass is a difficult task...You'd be lucky to gain 1 Lb of muscle in a months time under ideal conditions which would include a small surplus of calories and a kick *kitten* program.2
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evergreenlake wrote: »
No such thing as mesomorphs or endomorphs.3 -
OP, I just looked at your photos. Lean mass is not 100% muscle. If we were only muscle and fat we would be amorphous blobs. Lean mass is everything except fat--muscle, bone, blood, water, organs, tendons, etc. Drink 16 oz of water and your lean mass will increase by 1 lb.
My favorite magic trick!!!
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